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I'm sure the very first thing folks will want to tell me is that I need to visit the area and see what neighborhoods and towns I like; which is very sensible advise. Unfortunately, I will not have time to do that.
My husband accepted a job which had us relocating to Boise Id but was just offered a promotion which will have us instead moving to the Phoenix area. Our house is already under contract to be sold (we already had a house in Boise under contract to purchase even!) so we need to be out by the second week of Nov.
Neither of us have ever been to Phoenix so we are out of our depth and scrambling.
We will be flying out next week to buy a house.
Please do not advise extended stay accommodations or renting as we have 3 dogs in tow and my mother which makes those options not very feasible.
I was hoping the good people of this forum could assist in pointing out some areas and neighborhoods we should look at for relocating our family.
Here's what we're looking at:
-Budget of up to $325K (would prefer to spend less, of course)
-2 of the 3 dogs are small and we're trying to expand our family so I would very much like to not be in areas where some of the neat-o but potentially dangerous desert wildlife will be likely to visit us. I realize animals could be anywhere but I also realize they are more frequently seen in some places vs others.
-We don't need a huge yard but tiny itty bitty yards will not due. At least .2 acre (preferably a bit more) is needed.
-We are socially active and like going to restaurants, shows, bars, festivals, etc. We don't need to be in the middle of an entertainment district but it'd be nice to have no more than a 15-20 minute drive to it.
-As we are trying to add to our family a very safe neighborhood, perhaps appealing to other young families, is a must.
-We try hard to actively support and engage with local businesses so having them around would be a plus.
-I'm not a fan of "cookie cutter" neighborhoods. I realize that may pose a challenge with so much new subdivision construction in the past couple of decades...
-We need a lush green neighborhood with large mature trees
-Just kidding about that last one! I'm already brushing up on xeriscaping
My husband will be working from home or on the road so commute doesn't matter. His only request is to be an hour or less from the major airport.
Also wondering: Would you advise I make a pool a "must have" item? Sounds mostly great, but seems as though the peak heat months could make even getting into a pool a bad idea.
If you guys can think of any other advise or helpful pointers for our quicky relocation I'll take it!
I'm sure the very first thing folks will want to tell me is that I need to visit the area and see what neighborhoods and towns I like; which is very sensible advise. Unfortunately, I will not have time to do that.
My husband accepted a job which had us relocating to Boise Id but was just offered a promotion which will have us instead moving to the Phoenix area. Our house is already under contract to be sold (we already had a house in Boise under contract to purchase even!) so we need to be out by the second week of Nov.
Neither of us have ever been to Phoenix so we are out of our depth and scrambling.
We will be flying out next week to buy a house.
Please do not advise extended stay accommodations or renting as we have 3 dogs in tow and my mother which makes those options not very feasible.
I was hoping the good people of this forum could assist in pointing out some areas and neighborhoods we should look at for relocating our family.
Here's what we're looking at:
-Budget of up to $325K (would prefer to spend less, of course)
-2 of the 3 dogs are small and we're trying to expand our family so I would very much like to not be in areas where some of the neat-o but potentially dangerous desert wildlife will be likely to visit us. I realize animals could be anywhere but I also realize they are more frequently seen in some places vs others.
-We don't need a huge yard but tiny itty bitty yards will not due. At least .2 acre (preferably a bit more) is needed.
-We are socially active and like going to restaurants, shows, bars, festivals, etc. We don't need to be in the middle of an entertainment district but it'd be nice to have no more than a 15-20 minute drive to it.
-As we are trying to add to our family a very safe neighborhood, perhaps appealing to other young families, is a must.
-We try hard to actively support and engage with local businesses so having them around would be a plus.
-I'm not a fan of "cookie cutter" neighborhoods. I realize that may pose a challenge with so much new subdivision construction in the past couple of decades...
-We need a lush green neighborhood with large mature trees
-Just kidding about that last one! I'm already brushing up on xeriscaping
My husband will be working from home or on the road so commute doesn't matter. His only request is to be an hour or less from the major airport.
Also wondering: Would you advise I make a pool a "must have" item? Sounds mostly great, but seems as though the peak heat months could make even getting into a pool a bad idea.
If you guys can think of any other advise or helpful pointers for our quicky relocation I'll take it!
Thanks!
Wow, sounds exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time! First congratulations on your husband's promotion. The fact that he will be working from home opens up your possibilities for potential neighborhoods. In a nutshell, the valley is huge as you will find out and homes on the west side may be a little cheaper than in the east. Cities I would recommend in the west would be Peoria, Goodyear, Buckeye and Surprise which might challenge your hour drive to the airport depending on traffic. You also will want to look at the Deer Valley area and while you're up there check out Anthem which is nice, but may also push your drive time to the airport.
In the east valley I would recommend you check out the cities of Gilbert, Chandler, south Scottsdale, south Tempe (away from ASU) and sections of north Mesa. Good luck and let us know when you arrive.
You sound very similar to us, my one suggestion is don’t fall for the trap of living farther out to get more house for your money. If you like being active with festivals, entertainment, sports, etc... you’ll want to be as central to Tempe/Downtown Scottsdale/downtown Phoenix as possible. It’s very easy to buy 30+ miles from these areas and the thought of trekking into town for a show will quickly deter you. I speak from experience.
Luckily, this advice fits well for the non-cookie cutter homes you desire. Phoenix has many historical neighborhoods that are anything but cookie cutter, so you may want to start with checking out what your budget gets in these:
From there I’d suggest looking at North central Phoenix from Thomas North to roughly Northern staying east of 7th ave and West of the 51, some great older communities with a lot to eat and very close to all of the downtown activity.
South Scottsdale could also work, from the 202 to roughly Indian School road. Also older homes that keep most of the active areas within a short drive or uber commute.
Tempe is another good choice, avoid the college kids areas and you’ll be fine, basically south of broadway, north of the 60, west of the 101 and east of Mill ave. There are some great established neighborhoods and you’re close to the light rail, downtown Tempe with all its options for dining/entertainment and still about 15 mins to downtown Phoenix and 10 or so to old town.
None of these areas have new homes, they tend to be 1970s/80s or older. That usually means no hoa plus less stucco and more brick, plus you’re not likely to back up to raw desert land in any of these areas so it’s pretty unlikely you’ll have to worry about desert critters in your yard. Home prices have been going up here but with your budget these areas should have good options.
One word of caution, coming from NC I’m sure you already know, but be careful with your dogs in the warm months, it’s very hot here in the summer so check the pavement temps before they walk on it, never leave them in the car even if it’s just for a second and don’t forget water for them when go hiking.
Most of all, hope you enjoy Arizona, it’s an amazing place to live with beauty almost everywhere you look. There’s a lot to see and explore here from the museums and art scene here in Phoenix to the amazing natural areas of Sedona, Grand Canyon and many more. Hopefully it’s a good move.
Your situation sounds very familiar. Our home in CO sold too quickly in 2015, and we took a week in Oct to locate and buy a home. We knew we wanted to land in the west valley, due to the proximity to San Diego. On the drive down my wife got sick and ended up in a hospital for the whole week. I did manage to get a phone number off of a 'For Rent' sign and we were able to secure a 6 month lease on that rental. Although costing a bit more, I am glad that we had that experience. We became more familiar with the area and adjusted our previous home priorities. The rental was a big 2 story with a pool in Avondale, in a large development surrounding 2 lakes. After that experience, we focused our search to single story homes, and the pool was no longer a priority, due to the work involved, and the limited use (for us). It also confirmed our dislike for most modern developments.
Like the previous poster said, you will get more for your money in the west side, you just have to be smart about the location. Generally, if the homes are listed in the upper 200's and up, it is probably a nice area. We have been very happy with our home in Avondale that is not in the typical development.
Full disclosure> Our home did not have a pool, but we bought an above ground pool that we are very happy with. It is much easier to maintain. Stuff on the ground does not blow into the water like the inground. We just like to jump in and cool off (twice yesterday)
I'm actually already in the habit of checking concrete and asphalt surfaces for my dogs when it gets hot. It may not get as hot in the southeast but we hit triple digit temps sometimes and with the humidity it stays hot. I'm actually more concerned with the critters I'm not used to contending with.
I see you're also a real estate agent so I get your mindset lol - I was a NJ agent moving here and interestingly it was hard to connect with anyone who felt my urgency and need to see the different variations - they all seemed to be the same home -urggh. There are plenty of homes for rent that are dog friendly so that can be an option before you actually commit to an area... but I also get being a homeowner you don't want to easily drop $2k+/mo on rent when that can go towards equity
Right now is good time to buy a house with a pool - if it was before the summer I would say get ready for multiple bids and paying top price. We had to buy a home with no pool and build our own - do I ever use the pool - hardly! but my husband loves it and feels like he lives in a resort - so ?? really depends on your lifestyle and what you want to do -
I would suggest buying something close to the 51, or the 101 that way commute is always straight shot - I will also PM you in case you need more specifics ... best of luck!!!
Ahhhh...I see you are moving from the Raleigh Durham area....You will love it here. I moved from Charlotte almost 4yrs. ago. Definitely a huge change....but I think it will be a change for the better.. Welcome to the Valley!
I would also suggest east Phoenix, and area of 1950s ranch homes in the 1300-1800 sf range. If you stay south of Indian School and east of the 51 you can find a place within your price range maybe needing a bit of cosmetic work but a good neighborhood even with mature trees.
Ahhhh...I see you are moving from the Raleigh Durham area....You will love it here. I moved from Charlotte almost 4yrs. ago. Definitely a huge change....but I think it will be a change for the better.. Welcome to the Valley!
Thank you! It has been such a sudden change of plans with so many other plans already in progress I haven't really had much time to consider all the many differences. I was really looking forward to Boise so change excites more than phases me but I am def overwhelmed by the logistics of such a massive move so quickly!
I'm looking forward to exploring and am already planning a summer away vacation
I would also suggest east Phoenix, and area of 1950s ranch homes in the 1300-1800 sf range. If you stay south of Indian School and east of the 51 you can find a place within your price range maybe needing a bit of cosmetic work but a good neighborhood even with mature trees.
Welcome!
Thank you! I love ranch style homes but that square footage would not work for us given the need to accommodate my mom, a home office, and hopefully a future mini-us.
I realize we will need to be somewhat outside the more trendy centers but we don't mind driving as long as it's not more than 15-20 minutes. We do that now as we get tired of the things immediately around us and we live in a very central location.
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Welcome to the Valley!
